The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1887-02-11
HON. z. G. SIMMONS SPEECH

Z, 1887.
Mr. CHAIRMAN AND GENTLEMEN OF
THE BOARD.
| desire to present the names of "a
number of soldiers for youE considera-
ton, with the hope that YOU will see
bit to selec. from them man to ell the
Office of Treasurer made vacant by the
death of the late Treasurer, Mr.. Clark
-Chas. Frantz, Louis DeDiemaR, Col.
McDermott, Geo. Hale, Fred. Stemm,
John Hoye. | could add many other
names from the ranks of our veterans
who would honor the position, but this,
list | think sufficient. also wish. to
give my reasons for presenting these.
names and for urging you to select one
from thenuna5er for the position. In Il.
speech made March 21st, 1861, at the
city of Savannah, AlexanderIaH Stew
ems, Vice President of the Southern
Confederacy, made the following clear.
statement of the real issue between the
North and the South. He said: !" The
prevailing ideas entertained by the
leading statesmen at the time of the
formation of the old constitution, were
that the enslavement of. the African
was in violation of the laws of nature
that it was wrong in principle-so-
|cially, morally and politically. Our
new government (the Southern Con-
federacy) is founded upon exactly the
opposite ideas. Its foundations are
laid, its corner stone rests upon the
great truth that the negro is not equal
to the white man-that slavery subor-
dination to the superior race is his
natural and normal condition.
The conflict between these two ex-
actly opposite ideas eliminated in the
greatest war of modern times. The
war commenced by firing upon Fort
Sumpter, April u, 1861, and Lee sur
rendered April 9, 1865. Between the
dates named Wisconsin furnished 81.
$40 men. OF this Number, e79.934 vol
unteered and II ,445 were drafted men
or substitutes. In 1860, Wisconsin had
a population of 776, 455 souls. When
you consider that there were not at. the
opening of the war 81 900 able bodied
men in the state between the ages of
81 and As chat is able-bodied accord
ing to the army regulation require
ments)-when you consider that this
state furnished one soldier for every
two voters-the magnitude and terrible
nature of the struggle becomes pain
fully clear. When you consider that
1884 Of the $1,000 volunteered, their
patriotism and self -sacrifice shines with
a glory that will reach far down the
pathway of time. The money. con-
tributed by the state aside from her
share of the National debit was So 900,
900. Money furnished by counties,
cities and towns q mean corporate or
public contributions), was $7,752,505.
When you add to these sums thee con-
tributions of Individuality the TAM
lilies of the soldierS-the .amo unit fur
nished in hos pital supplies-by way of
sanitary commissions aud other th0ns-
and and one ways-you more dthan
double the sums mentioned. TheElit-
tie city Of Kenosha aloae.is credited
with having sent to the sanitary com
mission 145 boxes of supplies. theeOun-
ty contributing its share of this lar ge
amount. The devotion and loyalty.
the sacrifice, agony and anguish cheer
fully given and periodically borne, can
be in no wise told-cannot, be- under
stood or comprehended. It.:sis now
nearly 26 years since President Lincoln
issued his first call for volunteers, "A pYil
IA, 1861. In six days afterthat call,
Wisconsin's first regiment was enrolled
and mustered in. Our city claims (and
justly, l think the honor Of making
the first offer of a company. Before
April, 1865, Wisconsin had mustered
into service 81 regiments of infantry,
regiments of cavalry. IS batteries of
light artillery, regiment of, heavy ar
tillery II batteries) and company&of
sharp-shooters. SO regiments of lin
fantry, all the cavalry and artillery saw
hard and nearly continuous service
during the war; the remaining IA reg,
iments were composed mostly Of 100
day men, and were used mainly for
garrison duty. Of the men who. COM
posed these regiments, who went
through the war, over one in three
were either killed in battle or died of
wounds OF diseases incurred in the SER
vice. When you add to this those who
who were disabled by wounds, bat not
fatally, you see how frightful was the
10 ortality. $50
Gentlemen, I visited the South last
winter, for the first time. While, there
saw three National cemeteries--one
at Fredericksburgh, one at. Marietta,
and one near Nashville. There were
acres of ground so thickly dotted over
with little white marble tablets that the
scene was white, like -Winter..s The
multitude of these graves filed my
mind with horror, and broughtho 10
me, as never before, the magnitude of
the struggle and the terrible. sacrifice
of human life. .]ssNt So ~ =
Gentlemen, think of this one item.
There were over 5000 orphan children
of soldiers in the single state of Wis
consln at the close of the war. One
stands aghast before such an appalling.
cruel fact. We cannot comprehend
how just God can permit. tito be.
From these appalling aggregates, let
us look at some Of the facts in detail,
which can be more readily graSped. by
the mind. On the 9Th ofOctobeF, 1862.
battle was fought at place Eealled
Chaplin Hills, near Nashville, Tennes-
see. The Federals engaged numbered
some $4,000, the Rebels something
more. Our First Regiment, with, ]
think, five other Wisconsin regiments,
was in the battle. The First went in
to action with 407 men. It lost Sc
killed, 120 wounded, and 4 missing-a
loss of nearly every other. man.
Among the killed was. A. J.. McKes-
son, as brave and noble a soldier as
ever marched under the stars and
stripes l we'll remember the return
of his father with his remains, and. the
bright and sunny-Oc October day when we
laid him at rest-since which time a
shadow that never lifts .resgs upon the
hearts that mourn for their frst-bBrn.
Louis De Deimar lost an arm In this
battle. On the 31st Of December of the
same year, 1852, was commenced the
battle of Stone River, some thirty miles
from Nashville. 1t lasted four days.
In this battle five regiments and three
k&--. -